Cox Scholar receives support for financial burden

Sophomore Laura Buuck said she thought she was walking under sunshine when she knew she was selected as a Cox Scholars for the 2010-11 academic year.

“It was probably the happiest time in my life,” Buuck said, “I went home immediately, and everyone was so excited, and my parents were crying.”

Buuck is one of the 42 undergraduate students at IU-Bloomington and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis this year who are sharing nearly $700,000 of financial support, provided by the program, which was founded by IU alumnus Jesse Cox and his wife Beulah.

Buuck, a management and finance major in the Kelley School of Business who said she wants to be a consultant in the future, found out about the Cox Scholarship by
accident.

“I was looking at the IU Foundation website and found a list of scholarships my freshman year,” Buuck said, “I found the Cox Scholarship information tucked away in the corner.”

Buuck said she was interviewed by a six-person panel of scholarship committee members and was notified a week later.

As a recipient, Buuck said she must maintain a 3.0 GPA, be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours and be an Indiana resident.

A native of Fort Wayne, Buuck said because 75 percent of the estimated cost of attending IU is now covered by the scholarship, she is relieved financially.

“It freed me from having to work to survive,” Buuck said, “Now I can use that
energy in school and really get into a better place.”

She said her academic performance has improved because she has more time to concentrate on her studies instead of worrying about tuition.

“Being surrounded by other Cox scholars and many other great people,” Buuck said. “It really motivates me to continue that legacy and deliver it.”

Buuck said she had met with many other scholarship recipients at a welcome and induction ceremony and has been in touch with them since.

“It is definitely worth applying for,” Buuck said of the scholarship. “It completely changed my life and my perspectives. But really, if you are hard-working and self-motivated, there are great chances for you in the future no matter if you get the scholarship or not.”